February 5, 2009

Key Candidates in the Creative Age

By 2030 Ontario plans to become the first in the world with half our workforce in the high-value, high-paying jobs.

According to today′s published government report Feb 5 2009 researched by Martin prosperity Institute, `Ontario in the Creative Age′, we are moving toward an economy that values people′s creativity especially analytical and social intelligence skills. With 80% of our population currently employed in the service industry i.e. financial institutions, law firms, schools and hospitals. There is a huge demand for people who are able to make good decisions and have the capability to understand other people and to work in team settings.

What does this mean? It means that people must invest in their skills and education in order to compete in this growing market and must be able to demonstrate to a potential employer or in their present career that they are the right person for the job. Having the knowledge and experience is only part of the picture; they must be able to convey their value. A knowledge of situational questions otherwise known as behavioral interviewing, i.e. a prospective employee must be able to give specific stories showing how exactly they reacted to a situation. It is important to understand that the reason for this type of questioning is based on the theory that past behavior predicts future behavior.

The other key area is transferable skills. It is one of the main statements you will hear in today′s challenging job market where people are looking for critical thinking and the ability to make decisions. What are transferable skills? They are the skills gathered throughout your career and can be broken down into 5 basic categories:Communication.Research and planning.Human relations.Organization, management and leadership.Work survival – the day-to day-skills that assist effective production.

Identifying these skills is essential in moving forward after down-sizing and re-entering the workforce. Job titles you have held may say little about what your job really entailed. In other words, formal job descriptions are often very different from reality. This is why it is important to dissect each position held in order to discover what individual skills you actually used in the job. The creative selling of one′s skills is now essential to interviews and self promotion.

The competition is out there - "the province has a highly skilled workforce, world leading businesses and industries, excellent post secondary institutions, great cities and regions, and a culture that values openness, diversity, and social cohesion". Career success will no longer just be based on title and resume, it will require thinking outside the box and being able to show with conviction that it should be you.